Joan McCroskey Welch

Joan McCroskey Welch, age 91, of Vestavia Hills, AL, died Saturday, July 3rd, after suffering strokes. She was a native of Springfield, MO, a graduate of Willard High School, and attended The University of Alabama at Birmingham. She was employed for many years by Bellsouth Communications/AT&T until she retired at the age of 70. She then earned her real estate license and sold real estate in the Birmingham area until she was 88. Mrs. Joan Welch was preceded in death by her husband Clarence Hoye Welch, Jr., her father Walter Wesley McCroskey; her mother Ruth S McCroskey; brothers Claude A. McCroskey of Kansas City, MO, Glenn McCroskey of Springfield, MO; sisters Rachel McCroskey Brown, Christine McCroskey Wester, Florence McCroskey Trantham, and Leah Alice McCroskey Fisher of Springfield, MO; as well as her grandson, Ryan McKisson Huddleston of Jacksonville, FL. Mrs. Welch is survived by her loving family including her two daughters, Tealla Welch Stewart (husband, Tom) of Vestavia Hills, AL and Dr. Kathryn Welch Huddleston of Chattanooga, TN; her three grandchildren, Clare Stewart Huddleston (husband, John) of Hoover, AL, Dr. Mary Kathryn Huddleston Colburn (husband, Jeff) of Yorktown, VA, and Elizabeth Welch Stewart of Birmingham, AL; as well as her six great-grandchildren Anna Clare Welch Huddleston, Elizabeth Sims Huddleston, and Andrew Edwin Huddleston of Hoover, AL, and Audrey Joan Colburn, Mary Ryan Colburn, and Eleanor Beatrice Colburn of Yorktown, VA. She is also survived by her sisters Ruth Corcoran of Wilsonville, OR and Una Van Someren of Springfield, MO; her niece Betsy Welch Bailey of Satsuma, AL; nephew William Benjamin Welch of Mobile, AL; and numerous nieces and nephews from her eight siblings. Joan spent many years participating in the Salvation Army Auxiliary and Bell Ringer program. She was a member of the Southern Railway Ladies Club and the Tanglewood Garden Club with many of her neighbors. In addition, she leaves behind many friends in the Red Hat Society of which she was a member for nearly 15 years. Memorial and burial arrangements are as follows: Visitation from 9:30am to 10:00am on Thursday, July 8, 2021, at Ridout's Valley Chapel at 1800 Oxmoor Road, in Homewood, AL with Memorial Service to follow. Dr. Jim Cooley of First Baptist Church of Birmingham will be officiating. Burial to follow in Poplar Springs Cemetery in Newton, MS. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory to First Baptist Church Birmingham (www.fbcbirmingam.org